Local holiday music performances
Gather and Sing: West Aurora High School Choirs and the Wind Symphony will perform their winter concert of seasonal music, called "Gather and Sing," at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 11, in the auditorium, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. The concert involves approximately 300 young musicians. Portions of the money received from tickets will benefit Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry and the West Aurora Auditorium Fund.
Mickey's Christmas Carol: Aurora Children's Theatre (ACT I), a program of the city of Aurora's Youth and Sports Activities Division, will present the Dieterich Elementary School Drama Club production of "Mickey's Christmas Carol" at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, in the Dieterich School gymnasium, 1141 Jackson St. The drama club is made up of students in kindergarten to fifth grade and is made possible through a grant from Communities In Schools' 21st Century Grant Program. Admission is free.
Heartland Voices: The holidays are not complete without Heartland Voices' "Home Is Where The Heart Is," festive concerts filled with holiday music for the entire family. The matinee performance at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, will include the talents of the Elgin Children's Chorus Intermezzo Choir and the Clare Woods Academy Choir. Heartland Voices and the children's choirs will perform festive music for the season and celebrate diversity and fellowship with a special finale uniting all three ensembles. Enjoy the concerts at the Heartland Voices' home venue, the First United Methodist Church, 216 E. Highland Ave. in Elgin. Stay for the evening at the candlelight concert at 7:30 p.m. This encore performance will be a special blend of the old and the new in celebration of the spirit of the holiday season. Be prepared to join in a singalong of many seasonal favorites. This year's Heartland Voices' annual Holiday Charity Drive will benefit the Community Crisis Center. Children who bring personal care products, coloring books, or drawing supplies for the children of the Crisis Center will be admitted to any one of the three concerts free of charge. For tickets, call the Heartland Voices at (847) 429-9486, or visit heartlandvoices.org. Tickets are also available at the door.
The Letterman Christmas: The Letterman Christmas will be performed at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at The Hemmens, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. Join in the Christmas spirit by spending an evening with The Lettermen as they serenade you with classic holiday songs. Their 3-part vocal harmony will have you and your family creating warm memories to last a lifetime. Tickets are $45 for Golden Circle, $35 for main floor and $25 for balcony. For tickets, call (847) 931-5900.
Christmas concert: Join the Marmion-Rosary Band, Chorus and Jazz Ensemble in its Christmas music celebration at the annual Christmas Concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 in the Marmion Academy gym, 1000 Butterfield Road in Aurora. The public is welcome to attend this free admission event. A freewill offering benefiting the Marmion Capital Improvement Fund will be accepted. The concert opens with the selections by the 2008 North Shore Jazz Festival Class A Champion Marmion-Rosary Jazz Ensemble and Quintet and the 2008 IHSA Class A First Division award winning Men's Chorus. They will be followed by the 2008 Wisconsin State Music Association First Division award winning Combined Band, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble. Some of the selections to be performed include Christmas carols, "The Sleigh (A la Russe)," "Mary, Did You Know?" and many more. Raffle tickets will be sold before the concert and during intermission for a valuable Gift Card Tree. The winner will be drawn at the end of the concert and need not be present to win. All proceeds go to support the Band's performance trip to Disney World next year. The Marmion-Rosary Band is made up of students from Marmion Academy and Rosary High School and is directed by Steven Thurlow. The concert band is directed by Jonathan Hauser.
Service of Lessons and Carols: On Sunday, Dec. 14, St. Charles' Episcopal Church, 994 N. Fifth Ave., (Route 25) in St. Charles, will welcome the community to a candlelit Advent Service of Lessons and Carols at 5 p.m. Traditional scriptural readings, congregational carols and anthems by the adult choir will focus on preparation for Christmas and the mystery of the Incarnation. Community leaders, including St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitt and St. Charles North High School principal Kim Zupec, will be among the readers. Information on this and other Advent and Christmas worship services, outreach and educational programs and the outdoor labyrinth, call (630) 584-2596 or stcharlesepiscopal.org.
Charlie Brown's Christmas: Marklund's Developmental Training Program presents the musical "Charlie Brown's Christmas" at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, in the multipurpose room at Marklund Hyde Center, 1S450 Wyatt Drive, Geneva.
The play is modified creatively for Marklund's clients to provide maximum participation by the use of adaptive devices such as switches and augmentive communication tools that provide extraordinary tactile and audible feedback to people living with physical disabilities. Also participation is enhanced by singing and playing musical instruments.
"This show is a great opportunity for our friends and neighbors to see what great actors our clients are," said Vicki Krystof, communications manager at Marklund. "The audience can experience how Marklund believes in our clients' artistic capabilities and how we work to see them succeed in all areas - including a holiday production. This is one play that will bring the holiday spirit and infinite smiles to the audience as well as to our clients."
Nearly 20 Marklund clients are performing either as characters in the play or as chorus members. The performance is free and open to the public. Children are welcome. Refreshments will be served after the performance. For information, call Krystof at (630) 593-5482.
A Journey To Bethlehem: The Rosary Fine Arts Department will present its annual Christmas concert. "A Journey To Bethlehem" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 in the McEnroe Auditorium at Rosary High School, 901 N. Edgelawn Drive, Aurora.
The concert features more than 100 students from Rosary and Marmion Academy. The Rosary Symphony Orchestra, Beginning and Advanced Choruses, Ensemble, and Vox Concordis will perform a variety of seasonal music including traditional hymns ("It Came Upon The Midnight Clear," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Coventry Carol"), seasonal standards ("Winter Wonderland," "Silver Bells," "Deck the Hall") and other wintry delights. The ensembles will combine to perform Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata 142: "Unto Us A Child is Born". The musical ensembles at Rosary High School are directed by Tom Jesse. Admission is free. For details, visit www.rosaryhs.com.
Bittersweet Christmas Band: The Bittersweet Christmas Band, in cooperation with The Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, will present a benefit concert for Mutual Ground, an organization providing services in southern Kane County and Kendall County for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The concert will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 at the church, 102 S. James St., Geneva. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Contact the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva at (630) 232-2350 or office@uusg.org for tickets and information. Further information is at the society's Web site at www.uusg.org. The holidays are a mixed bag and so is the Bittersweet Christmas Band. From Thanksgiving through Dec. 25, traditional artists Cooper, Nelson, & Early join forces with songwriter and "wise" woman Susan Urban for a show that presents every possible perspective on the holiday season from the reverent to the ridiculous. Two- to four-part harmonies and masterful instrumentation on guitar, banjo, mountain dulcimer, hand drum and other percussion instruments make the Bittersweet Christmas Band an act not to be missed. For more information, visit www.uusg.org.
The Living Light: "The Living Light," a dramatic Christmas musical, will be staged at 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at Fourth Street United Methodist Church, 551 S. Fourth St. in Aurora. The public is invited. Admission is free. A freewill offering will be accepted. Ten speaking actors and other silent actors, accompanied by handbell and vocal choirs, will present the Christmas story through the eyes of those who witnessed or participated in the first Christmas in Bethlehem. Speaking actors, ranging from Mary and Joseph to members of the innkeeper's family, will give brief monologues. Each character offers their personal perspective on the unusual events surrounding them. Author and composer Ruth Schram provides texts and melodies, and includes congregational participation. For more information, call (630) 897-5257.
Christmas Splendor: The Elgin Choral Union will present "Christmas Splendor" at 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at Elgin Community College's Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. Join the Elgin Choral Union and guest ensemble Gaudete Brass in performances of Christmas music that will enthrall and delight music lovers of all ages. Tickets are $23 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for students and groups of 10 or more and $5 Children under 10 with adult admission purchase online. Tickets are available at (847) 622-0300 or visit www.elgin.edu.